DECLARING that the "Mining Act destroys life," the Catholic BishopsConference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday called for the repeal of thelaw that opened up the mining industry to foreign firms.

In a statement delivered after a national conference, the CBCP reiteratedits request to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo "to recall all approvedmining concessions and to disapprove pending applications."

The bishops said "adverse social impacts" would far outweigh a boom in themining industry.

They said it was the people's basic right to tap natural resources andallowing big mining companies access to these "amounts to violating theirright to life."

"Furthermore, mining threatens people's health and environmental safetythrough the wanton dumping of waste and tailings in rivers and seas," theCBCP said in the statement read by Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes.

The CBCP also expressed alarm over the deletion of the nationalistprovisions in the Constitutionbeing pushed by the Malacañang-formedConsultative Commission.

If it succeeds, the move could "pave the way (for) the wholesale plunder ofour national patrimony and undermine our sovereignty," the bishops said.

It was the strongest statement of the bishops against mining under theArroyo administration, which claims that a revived mining industry couldhelp propel the economy's takeoff.

"Our mining potential is ten times our national gross national product. Itcan easily wipe out our foreign debts and yet leave more for futuregenerations," Ms Arroyo said in December last year.

The perennially cash-strapped government last year said it estimated awindfall of up to $90 billion in foreign investments in the mining industrywith 23 major mining projects in the pipeline.

The Church has been at the forefront of efforts to stop the legislature fromopening up the mining industry and has waged a legal battle to have theMining Act of 1995 declared unconstitutional.

But in December 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that the mining law wasconstitutional, lifting the final obstacle for foreign companies in theindustry.

As it is, Ms Arroyo's "Mining Revitalization Program" is not doing any goodby encouraging the entry and operation of large-scale mining bytransnational corporations, the CBCP said.

*Dislocation*

It said "mining tenements" granted through the program had encroached into17 important biodiversity areas, 35 national conservation priority areas and32 national integrated protected areas.

"The promised economic benefits of mining by these transnationalcorporations are outweighed by the dislocation of communities, especiallyamong our indigenous brothers and sisters, the risks to health andlivelihood and massive environmental damage," the CBCP said.

The prelates pointed out that mining areas, such as those in the Caraga,Bicol and the Cordillera regions remained among the poorest in the country.

*Rapu-Rapu*

In response to complaints they received, especially from indigenous peoples,the bishops also called on the government to stop its 24 priority miningprojects.

Ditto with large-scale mining projects such as the Rapu-Rapu PolymetallicProject in Albay, HPP Project in Palawan, Didippio Gold-Copper Project inNueva Vizcaya, Tampakan Copper-Gold Project in South Cotabato, Canatuan GoldProject in Zamboanga del Norte and the San Antonio Copper Project inMarinduque.

The latest pastoral statement reiterated the concerns raised by the CBCP inits 1998 statement titled "A Statement of Concern on the Mining Act of1995." Since then, a number of prelates have been very vocal about thesupposed evils of the law.

The bishops said the environmental tragedies and incidents triggered bymining "belie all assurances of sustainable and responsible mining that theArroyo administration claims."

One of the biggest mining disasters in the country happened in Marinduqueprovince in 1996 when an accident sent millions of tons of open-pit minewaste into a river.

The Marinduque mine, operated by Placer Dome's partner Marcopper MiningCorp., was closed by the government. Without compensating the people, PlacerDome left the country.

Last year, the provincial government filed a lawsuit in Nevada againstPlacer Dome, accusing it of damaging the environment and the health ofresidents.

The latest mining accident happened on Rapu-Rapu Island. Effluentscontaining high levels of cyanide were released last year from tailing damsinto adjacent bodies of water, causing fishkills in the coastal community,according to fishermen.

Members of the Lakas Mangingisda ng Bicol are collecting signatures as partof a campaign to have the mine operated by Australian firm Lafayette MiningInc. closed permanently.

The project has been touted as the flagship project of the revived miningindustry in the Philippines.

*Human rights violations*

Mining has also led to the violation of human rights, according to thebishops.

"Increasing numbers of mining-affected communities, Christians andnon-Christians alike, are subjected to human rights violations and economicdeprivations," they said. "We see no relief in sight."

Reacting to the CBCP statement, Michael Defensor, incoming presidentialchief of staff, said Malacañang "recognized that responsibility in miningshould be practiced."

Defensor, the outgoing environment secretary, said the government was doingeverything to address the concerns of the bishops.

He assured the bishops that the Palace would "maintain strong coordination"with the people, communities, non-government organizations and the Church inkeeping vigilance over these mining projects. *With a report from